Are you a good leader?

Recently I came across a very interesting article on CIO.com "Questions to Make You a Better Leader". This article talks about several questions you can ask yourself to keep you in-check and ignite the thought process so you can critically assess yourself and make things more clearer.

Here are the questions that were highlighted in that article.

1. What about your work motivates you?
2. What are the challenges facing your department?
3. What can you do to overcome these challenges?
4. How can you help your boss lead more effectively?
5. What are you doing to spread confidence?

I guess these are pretty basic questions, but it makes you think about what you are really doing. These questions are explored in more detail in the original article. And one very important thing mentioned in this article is:

"...all of us can benefit from a trusted associate who challenges us to think by asking good questions, and then pushing us to follow through"

which is very true.

Polish your negotiation skills

1. Always go for 'win-win' negotiation, keeping everything neutral (emotions, egoism etc.)

2. Understand your fair interest and the interest of the person you are with negotiation

3. If you are a buyer and in negotiation with a seller on an offer/point of a discussion, always support with some benchmark or reference, it's easy for the negotiation

4. If both parties are not comfortable with the negotiation, take a time to come back later as it leaves both parties time to think

5. Avoid confrontation at any stage of negotiation

6. A good negotiation leaves a future merit for a business relationship, or even a good friendship

7. Keep your negotiation not more than half-an hour to an hour at a stretch, take a break, it gives some time to think through it before you reopen the discussion

8. Show your interest to open for new ideas

9. Treat everyone involved in the negotiation with great respect

10. Thank every one at the end of the negotiation, no matter if you made a deal or not

Read more on CIO.com